"Scottish Ballet is on a roll ... Page has revamped [the Company] into a tight-knit ensemble that gives the impression that it could dance anything" The Times

Following the Company's 5-star rated Spring 2005 Tour, and direct from a highly anticipated appearance at this year's prestigious Edinburgh International Festival, comes an exhilarating programme of dance from Scotland's national dance company.

"It should be trumpeted to the whole world that Scottish Ballet is back with a great big sexy feel to it that anyone who enjoys a good night out shouldn't miss" Daily Mail

The Autumn Season opens at His Majesty's Theatre, Aberdeen (8 - 10 September) where Scottish Ballet re-open the theatre at a gala event following its multi-million pound refurbishment. The Company will then tour to The Regent Theatre, Stoke-on-Trent (14 - 17 September), Scottish Ballet's first visit South of the border since it's re-launch in September 2003.

"'They have cranked up the energy, got themselves a blazing life-force and come prepared to leave the audience in raptures" The Guardian

The Autumn Season features two of Balanchine's finest ballets, Apollo and Rubies, both of which are set to the famous Stravinsky scores, performed by the Scottish Ballet Orchestra. Founder of the world-renowned New York City Ballet, Balanchine is widely regarded as one of the greatest choreographers in the history of ballet, and his work remains a vital force and as popular as ever twenty years after his death. Following Scottish Ballet's outstanding performances of Balanchine's work over the past year, the Company's relationship with The Balanchine Foundation continues to thrive, and Scottish Ballet is delighted to be working once more with renowned Balanchine ballerina and repetiteur, Patricia Neary.

The season will also include three works by Scottish Ballet's acclaimed Artistic Director, Ashley Page. The Pump Room, Page's latest ballet, is a highly charged work for two couple set to the elegantly damned rhythm of Nine Inch Nails and Aphex Twin. Walking In The Heat is a sultry, sensuous duet whilst 32 Cryptograms is a breathtaking piece, which showcases the dancers precision, speed and strength.

Apollo (1928)
Apollo is the oldest surviving ballet of Balanchine and was the first to bring him international acclaim. Set to a hauntingly lyrical score by Igor Stravinsky, Apollo marked the start of what was to become a life-long association between the choreographer and the composer. Created for Diaghilev's Ballets Russes, the ballet depicts the birth of the young god Apollo, his education by the muses of dance, song, poetry and mime, and the journey that will shape his destiny.

Rubies (1967)
Rubies is taken from Balanchine's full-length work Jewels, which was inspired by New York jeweller Claude Arpel. Crisp and witty, Rubies is one of Balanchine's most delectable creations, and contains dazzling and virtuosic dance reminiscent of his choreography for Broadway and Hollywood. At once glamorous and exciting, the dancers are adorned in dazzling bejeweled costumes and perform energetic choreography to the angular, jazz-tinged music of Igor Stravinsky. The cast will feature Eve Mutso in the solo role originally choreographed on Patricia Neary. In an interesting twist, Eve takes on this jewel-inspired role after recently becoming an inspiration herself for Edinburgh based jewellers Hamilton & Inches, who sponsor her as part of Scottish Ballet's innovative Sponsor A Dancer scheme.

32 CRYPTOGRAMS (1996)
A highlight of the forthcoming season, 32 Cryptograms ("abstract beauty that lingers...fast, clear and fascinating" The Stage) has gone on to become a signature piece for Scottish Ballet. Initially choreographed to showcase a group of exceptional young talent at The Royal Ballet in 1996, 32 Cryptograms was produced as part of Ashley Page's longer piece Two-Part Invention. Re-developed especially for Scottish Ballet, the piece celebrates the powerful talent of the Company's dancers with a stylish show of vigour and elegance.

WALKING IN THE HEAT (1992)
Walking in The Heat is a sensual pas de deux which originally formed the centrepiece of Ashley Page's longer work Touch Your Coolness To My Fevered Brow. Made for the Dutch National Ballet in 1992, this sultry duet, "a Latin mix of lust and languor" (The Times), marked the beginning of Page's now long established creative partnership with internationally renowned designer Antony McDonald.

THE PUMP ROOM (2005)
The Pump Room is a recently premiered, short piece choreographed especially on Scottish Ballet dancers by the Company's Artistic Director, Ashley Page. Described as "A headlong rush of velvety, virtuoso modern dance" by The Sunday Herald, The Pump Room pulsates to the beat of Aphex Twin and Nine Inch Nails, and will have its English premiere this season.

The Scottish Ballet Orchestra will perform for Rubies, Apollo and 32 Cryptograms.

Frances Michael, aged 11, from Ralston near Glasgow, met her lifelong role model and Scotland's premier ballet dancer Claire Robertson at Scottish Ballet on Thursday (4 Aug), for a special training session and to demonstrate how Lottery funding is opening up a new world of opportunity for young Scots.

Frances has been involved in the Scottish Ballet Young Associate Programme for just two years, and has already been hailed as the next Claire Robertson and "one to watch."

Claire Robertson, who is a Principal Dancer with Scottish Ballet, has been with the dance company for 11 years and has danced in many of the Company's productions including The Nutcracker, Cinderella and the forthcoming Edinburgh International performances of Balanchine ballets.

She, said: "Frances has amazing skill and poise for someone so young. It's really encouraging to see young talent like her being nurtured in Scotland, to ensure Scottish Ballet continues with its success and reputation as Scotland's national dance company. It's important that young people from all backgrounds are given the opportunity to get involved in the Arts to help develop on both a physical and social level, which is why Lottery funding towards this area is vital."

Frances, also a student at the Jackie Wilson Dance Studio in Bellshill, has set her sights on becoming a Principal Dancer in the future, following her successful audition into the Scottish Ballet Associate Programme. This scheme offers young people the opportunity to appreciate the dedication and training required to be professional dancers.

Frances commented on meeting her idol: "I was really excited to be able to meet Claire. I have been to see her in performances like the Nutcracker and have always looked up to her and loved watching her perform. I've been dancing since I was three and a half and dream of becoming a principal ballet dancer one day, just like Claire."

Scottish Ballet has received over £120,000 of Lottery funding from the Scottish Arts Council and the Big Lottery Fund specifically towards projects to create interest and increase participation in the Arts among young people. Over £1 million more has been invested in the past to support the dance company in other areas such as providing a new dance studio and towards large-scale productions.

Anita Clark, Head of Dance: 'It is important for young people to become involved in the arts as it provides a creative outlet for them and dance allows them to exercise in a fun way, improving their confidence and self esteem. Scottish Ballet has received Lottery money through the Scottish Arts Council and the Big Lottery Fund to encourage young people, who may not have had an opportunity to dance otherwise, and give them a chance to work with some of Scotland's leading dancers.'

This year The National Lottery is celebrating the difference it has made to the lives of children and young people in Scotland. New figures released by The National Lottery show the Lottery has invested over £855 million to the benefit of children and young people, across all areas, in Scotland since 1994. This marks a significant proportion of the £9 billion raised in total for children and young people across the UK since the Lottery began in 1994.

Scottish Ballet are thrilled to announce the launch of the Company's brand new website. The new site reflects a busy time for the award-winning Company, who later this month return to the Edinburgh International Festival following a twenty year hiatus, and, with www.scottishballet.co.uk receiving a 100% rise in visitor numbers, what better time to be able offer more information, more images and more opportunities to interact with the Company?

The new website will allow you to get closer to the company than ever before, all at the click of a button, and will encompass many exciting new features as well as a wealth of information. Brush up on the gen' on all of your favourite dancers in our new Company Page which features each dancer's vital statistics, a full gallery of images - archive and brand new - and the answers to all those questions you'd never thought you'd have the chance to ask!

Each of our forthcoming productions will have it's own mini-site, where you can find detailed information on the repertoire, listen to extracts of the accompanying soundtracks and view a range of production images or, for new works, be the first to see exclusive costume designs, a feature which really does make this an all-singing-all-dancing-website in every way!

In addition, there will be no-holds barred access for those who have ever wondered what really happens behind the scenes. Find out what it's really like to work in a busy wardrobe department, and how many beads and lengths of material actually do go into creating those glamorous costumes; or how our technical department work their magic to create a whole new world in our new feature following a day in the life of a member of Scottish Ballet's staff.

Other features include a brand new forum gives you the opportunity to have your say. Whether you have a burning question about the company, or are a budding ballerina looking for pointers, this is the place to come to share your thoughts and ideas. Or why not register with us to find yourself privy not only to regular email updates on what the Company is doing, but also for great offers, exclusive competitions and the chance to rub shoulders with our prima ballerinas at Scottish Ballet events.

Laveron, a Glasgow based creative agency, is the design, marketing and technology team behind the new Scottish Ballet website, launched today, 19th August 2005. The integrated range of services offered by the company includes multi channel marketing, branding, design for print, integrated advertising, website development and digital communications.

Laveron's inspirational approach, expertise and skill set gave Scottish Ballet the strategic marketing support, creative intellect, intuitive design and technical capabilities to build a web presence unique to the Scottish Arts industry. Laveron's clients are diverse, ranging from musicians such as Isobel Campbell (ex Belle and Sebastian) and John McLaughlin (songwriter), to the National Museum of Scotland and The Lighthouse.

Scottish Ballet Autumn 2005 Season
Direct from this year's prestigious Edinburgh International Festival comes an exhilarating programme of dance from Scottish Ballet. Featuring Apollo and Rubies by George Balanchine, one of the greatest choreographers of the 20th century and three works by Scottish Ballet's acclaimed Artistic Director, Ashley Page - The Pump Room, Walking In The Heat and 32 Cryptograms.
"A blazing life-force" The Guardian

An Evening With Scottish Ballet
As part of The Merchant City Festival, a unique opportunity to see Scottish Ballet's stunning dancers, up close and personal, as they perform three highly charged pieces from one of the country's leading choreographic forces, Scottish Ballet's Artistic Director, Ashley Page.

The Pump Room pulsates to the beat of an Aphex Twin remix of the Nine Inch Nails track, At The Heart Of It All. Acrid Avid Jam is a languorously sexy duet is fuelled by the chemistry between the dancers and their unique response to the shifting undercurrents of the atmospheric soundtrack, also by Aphex Twin. Walking In Th Heat is a sultry, sinewy duet, a 'Latin mix of lust and languor'. A truly mesmerising evening.

Cinderella
Cinderella will be the second full-length production that Artistic Director Ashley Page has created since his arrival at Scottish Ballet, and promises to be as sumptuous and lavish as Page’s critically acclaimed version of The Nutcracker.

Set in eighteenth-century France (but with a twist!), this spectacular production will feature designs by award-winning international designer, Antony McDonald.

It will include the famous Prokofiev score in full, performed by the Scottish Ballet Orchestra.

just thought you might like a wee look at some of Paul Liburd's backstage
photographs from the Edinburgh International Festival on our forum. Hopefully
we'll have some from the forthcoming Autumn tour at Aberdeen (HMT, 8 - 10 Sep)
and / or Stoke-on-Trent (Regent Theatre, 14 - 17 Sep) up soon as well.

Scottish Ballet’s programme at Stoke may have been an unusual mix, but it certainly included something everyone. In between two seminal and well-known Balanchine works were three from Ashley Page’s own catalogue in a variety of styles.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, it was the three Page works that showed the company at its best. Luisa Rocco and Oliver Rydout gave a sensual performance of ‘Walking in the Heat’. Not overtly sexual although you got the impression it was never far away. It perfectly captured the mood of the music and theme. ‘The Pump Room’ is a new Page work for two couples, the choreography perfectly complimenting Aphex Twin’s throbbing music. Patricia Hines and Erik Cavallari (in jazz shoes), and Sophie Martin (on pointe) and Paul Liburd all gave an excellent showing of smooth virtuostic contemporary dance.

’32 Cryptograms’ was originally produced as part of Page’s 1996 work for younger dancers at The Royal Ballet, ‘Two-Part Invention’. It has become something of a signature-piece for Scottish Ballet and it’s easy to see why. Reminiscent of both Page’s and Peter Martins’ ‘Fearful Symmetries’ the fast moving choreography has the thirteen dancers constantly swirling around and flowing on and off the stage. The partnerships seem to be forever changing and there’s always something to see in a work that really does show the company off incredibly well.

The programme opened with Balanchine’s ‘Apollo’, seen here in what seems to be the increasingly popular full version, complete with prologue. In a competent, if unspectacular effort, Erik Cavalliari was suitably god-like as Apollo, although one got the feeling that the dancers were just ‘doing the steps’ without having any idea why or what anything meant. Sometimes they seemed rushed, notably at the famous ‘sunburst’, which was over in a split second, almost before anyone has a chance to take it in.

‘Rubies’, sadly, was not well done. It is supposed to be crisp, sharp, and exciting. Instead it was something of a damp squib with lots of soft movement and lots of almost limp, very un-Balanchine like arms. I would not expect Scottish Ballet to produce something the same as dancers and companies schooled in Balanchine technique over many years, but I would expect better than this.

On this showing, Scottish Ballet has come a long way since its relaunch in 2003, and Ashley Page must take a great deal of the credit for that. It seems clear that the dancers are happiest in the more modern works, which is unsurprising given most of their backgrounds. However, if they are going to continue to present such as Balanchine, there is clearly still a long way to go.

Apollo/The Pump Room/32 Cryptograms/Walking in The Heat/RubiesBy Bernard Bale for The Stage

Theatre means different things to different people but when His Majesty’s Theatre in Aberdeen wanted something spectacular to celebrate its reopening after refurbishment, the Scottish Ballet could not have been a better choice.

Artistic director Ashley Page has breathed new life into the company, which itself has been relaunched.

Following a phenomenally successful year in which Scottish Ballet made a highly anticipated and award-winning return to the Edinburgh International Festival after a hiatus of twenty years, the Company now prepares for its next landmark step this forthcoming Spring – a return to the London stage at Sadler’s Wells (14 – 18 March 2006), a major venue dedicated to presenting the best in British and international dance.

As Scotland’s National Dance Company, Scottish Ballet welcomes this opportunity to enhance the international reputation of Scotland’s creative industries, while representing the country’s vibrant and dynamic arts scene in a city frequently referred to as the dance capital of the United Kingdom. Not only is this an exciting opportunity to help build on Scotland’s international image, but it offers Scottish Ballet a unique platform to showcase its work to new audiences, including a range of prospective funders, sponsors and international promoters.

Culture Minister Patricia Ferguson said:

“This summer Scottish Ballet electrified audiences at the Edinburgh International Festival with a series of world-class performances. Next March the company will grace the stage of London’s Sadler’s Wells showcasing Scottish artistic excellence to a new audience. Scottish Ballet is ambitious and determined to enhance a richly deserved international reputation gained from producing inspirational, challenging work that rivals the best in the world.”

Appearing in London for the first time in over six years, and under the acclaimed direction of Ashley Page, former Royal Ballet dancer and choreographer, Scottish Ballet will present two very different programmes to showcase the full spectrum of thrilling ballet for which the Company is now recognized. Indeed, it was recently announced that Scottish Ballet has been nominated in the category of Outstanding Repertoire (Classical) by the Critics’ Circle National Dance Awards.

“I have been following the rapid development of Scottish Ballet since Ashley Page took over the reigns as Artistic Director and I feel that now is the time to bring the company to Sadler’s Wells when they are riding high from their Edinburgh Festival season. I am really delighted to be presenting Ashley’s new production of Cinderella as well as showing other aspects of the company’s developing repertoire in the triple bill evening.”

A diverse triple bill will showcase four decades of modern ballet, as well as the immense talent and versatility of Scottish Ballet’s stunning dancers. Featuring George Balanchine’s tour de force, Episodes, a fantastic opportunity to see this masterpiece for the first time in London in over forty years; Stephen Petronio’s electrifyingly provocative MiddleSexGorge; and Suite from Artifact, a new version of William Forsythe’s ballet Artifact, specially arranged by him for Scottish Ballet.

A hearty congratulation is most definitely due to our Artistic Director, Ashley Page.

Ashley has been nominated for a South Bank Show Award for his work with Scottish Ballet. The nomination appears in the Award’s Dance Category, alongside nominations for Matthew Bourne for Edward Scissorhands and Russell Maliphant and Sylvie Guillem for Push.

Winners will be announced in a special ceremony commemorating 10 years of South Bank Show Awards, on Friday 27th January 2006 at the Savoy Hotel in London, and will be hosted by Melvyn Bragg. This year's Dance Award will be presented by Darcey Bussell. The awards honour the best in British arts from 2005 and will take place in front of a star-studded audience.

After ten years, the awards are still unique in that they are the only British awards to span the whole range of the arts. There are twelve categories: theatre, film, dance, classical music, pop music, opera, literature, comedy, visual arts and TV drama. The event opens with a live musical performance, there are special awards sponsored by Arts Council England and The Times (for Best Breakthrough Artist), and the day climaxes with the presentation of an award for Outstanding Achievement in the Arts.

The show is filmed and broadcasts on ITV1 on Sunday 29th January 2006. The programme usually attracts an audience of around 2 million
Scottish Art Council logo

The dancers seem to be re-inventing their strategies every minute as, during the third section, a radiantly courtly Paul Liburd kneels at the foot of his ballerina, then - in a gesture part abasing part threatening - grasps her ankle and hoists her into a shocking vertical lift. Such is the extraordinary power of Episodes it can make even William Forsythe look mainstream - and it can certainly remind us how much Forsythe has learned from the master.

Scottish Ballet presented their new production of “Cinderella” on Tuesday 14th March, as part of their visit at Sadler’s Wells. The company would present a Triple Bill later on that they will be taking to Edinburgh and Glasgow as part of their spring tour.

This new production of “Cinderella”, choreographed by Scottish Ballet’s director, Ashley Page, had its premiere in December 2005. In a way, it is a reworking of the classic, though not as radical as Maguy Marin or even Rudolf Nuereyev’s retellings of the fairy tale. In a way, this has allowed Page to provide his company with a Christmas classic other than the “Nutcracker”, which is always a good idea. On the other hand, one could wish that when new choreography for an existing work is done, something different is added to the existing text.

The scenery and costumes for the production were interesting and colourful. There were some changes to the story that Page has introduced and yet the choreographic reading and patterns have not undergone drastic changes. What Page has achieved is to keep the Ashton reading of the score and fit within it his own choreographic style. At its best, it provided very musical choreography, at its worst it eluded real choreographic imagination and creation.

The ballet moves very swiftly during the first act, mainly because the action on stage is very busy. There is not much choreography until the end of the act with the appearance of the Godmother. Page gives her a solo using the same music Ashton did. Then come the rest of the fairies to dance their solos and the most surprising element in all of them is that, in spite of the choreographic text being obviously changed, the musical reading is exactly the same as the solos as choreographed by Ashton. This only seemed to highlight how embedded Ashton’s musicality is within Page’s own. There are obviously different versions of the ballet that could have provided him with other musical interpretations of Prokofiev’s music; Rotislav Zakharov’s original production for the Bolshoi, its reworking by Valery Panov for the Berlin Opera Ballet and, of course, Nureyev’s version for the Paris Opera Ballet. Whether Page decidedly discarded all these musical readings in favour of Ashton’s is something that one could not clearly see.

As the ballet proceeded, there were more references to Ashton’s choices of material for his work. Like, for example, the idea of taking the four fairies to the ball, their entrances and exits within the whole act... these were the same as Ashton’s. Needless to say, this enlarged role of the fairies does not happen in other versions.

At the ball, the choreographic text created by Page was at its weakest. This is the moment in the ballet when pure choreography has to move the ballet forward and Page did not provide with enough contrast for the different numbers. The entrance of Cinderella was effective, but I missed Ashton’s magic or Nureyev’s imagination.

Personally, the weakest part of the whole act was the Pas de Deux. Page decided to impose his choreographic style of non-stop movement and dynamics - movements that originate from the hips and throw the female dancer forward in unbalanced positions that restrict the work of the torso -. My problem with this was that the pas de deux did not seem to breathe organically with the music. There were no climaxes, no repose, no eloquence in the articulation of the musical phrases, as the movement seemed to impose itself upon the music instead of flowing with it.

The last act also discarded the travels of the Prince throughout the world and took him directly to Cinderella’s home, where he finds her and the Godmother unites them and takes them away.

Not having seen the company before, I cannot judge how much they have changed since Page’s appointment as director. At present, they look as a young, dynamic troupe. Technically or stylistically it is not a coherent group yet. Overall, they lacked strong dramatic dancers that could make the principal roles shine. Claire Robertson as Cinderella was a lovely dancer, but she did not manage to engage the audience with her character, which did not seem sympathetic enough. Her Prince, Erik Cavallari, was also a bit weak on the dramatic part and his technique was not strong enough as to allow him to hide this. Soon Ja Lee as the Godmother had the technique and commanding dancing required for her role. Tomomi Sato provided the most beautiful dancing in her role as Spring Fairy. She was a delight to watch, thanks to her quick, fast footwork, beautiful jump and obvious enjoyment of the choreography she had been assigned.

It seems clear that Page has provided the company with a sound ballet that will eventually grow into the dancers. I just wish, after having watched it, that either he had been more adventurous in his departure from the ballet that he obviously knew, or that he had paid more careful attention to some of its most magical details and worked upon these as points of departure. Ashton understood who Cinderella was and what she really wanted. Page’s heroine pales in comparison.

Last edited by AnaM on Thu Mar 23, 2006 6:37 am, edited 1 time in total.

Most had never danced Balanchine before learning this piece, but its beauty, logic and geometry soon took over, and they seemed to grow in confidence before our eyes. The finest moments were provided by Paul Liburd and Patricia Hines, who in the third movement of the Webern score perform an intimate, searching pas de deux within a high-stepping knot of corps dancers.

It’s a brave director who decides to take George Balanchine’s Episodes into the repertoire. But in the case of Ashley Page and Scottish Ballet it’s a decision that pays off handsomely. Never have I seen the company look so clever and sophisticated as in Balanchine’s 1959 creation.

William Forsythe agreed to arrange Suite from Artifact exclusively for Scottish Ballet. The first section has fractured duets framed by a semaphoring corps. Forsythe's gestures are pointedly meaningful without actually meaning anything, which sums up the ballet.

A Cinderella with fire in her bellyby MARK MONAHAN for the daily Telegraph

Typically of Page, the choreography is a very Forsythean twist on classicism. Sometimes it works: the passages for the four "seasons" are vibrant and clever (and were well danced), and Act 1 also boasts some pretty steps for the lone Cinderella. At other times, though, it jars badly, and in Act 2's pivotal pas de deux there are choreographic tics that say nothing of burgeoning love and draw attention to themselves in the worst way.

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